


diplomacy

by iamsolarflare, xxenobiology



Series: 77-2 AU [2]
Category: Hermitcraft
Genre: Area 77, Gen, General Spooky Elements, Supernatural Elements, Tag wranglers stop tagging Hermitcraft as RPF challenge, faux mixed media, s5 Jungle is sapient
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-11
Updated: 2019-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 14:47:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 10,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29245326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamsolarflare/pseuds/iamsolarflare, https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxenobiology/pseuds/xxenobiology
Summary: In which the staff of Area 77 deals with a rowdy neighbor and an old friend of Doc's.
Relationships: None
Series: 77-2 AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2014771
Kudos: 4





	1. 2.1

**Author's Note:**

> hulloa, solar here! this fic has been backdated to match its original publishing date on Tumblr. it's taken over a year to port because [helpless shrug emoji] fonts are hard. (PLEASE don't hide Style; the different font uses are integral to this fic.)
> 
> if you want to read the rest of the AU and don't want to wait for me to post the rest of it, or you want to read each fic as one long Google document, you can find all current works on Tumblr under my blog @betweenlands. that's also one of two places you can go if you want to yell about it (my co-author, meanwhile, is @cheshire-vex).
> 
> PS: if the transition between this fic and the previous one seems jarring and you're wondering if you missed something - there were originally two minifics wrapping up the sock monkey plotline that we had to scrap for a variety of reasons (a bit too intense for the fandom at the time, one was a bit of a crossover for an au that doesn't exist, a couple other assorted issues). we'll rewrite them to be more in line with canon, but for now the skip has to stay. sorry about that!
> 
> original "featuring" section below.  
> \---  
> featuring: bdubbs is here this time, doc probably has ptsd, keralis being an absolute bastard, more funky fresh dream sequences, some of the silliest lines ever written, and people actually talking their feelings out
> 
> content warnings for the 77-2 universe: mild to moderate psychic manipulation/possession, format screws and unreality (and even a bit of fourth-wall breaking), briefly mentioned permadeath, vaguely described mentions of gore, and of course one (1) curse word for the PG-13 rating.

Format - personal text log from General Kakujo.

So, it’s been a couple weeks since Scar got his leg, uh, eaten, and everything else went down? I don’t feel like dwelling on that, and this is my journal my rules.

Scar’s got a new leg now - Doc made it for him. It’s not made of metal and redstone, though, apparently Scar’s is mostly comprised of ceramic and a different type of wiring. I guess it’s like covering our bases in case we run into someone who controls magnets?

Anyway. Scar lost his leg, thing in the jungle got murked, Doc’s somehow got 50% more feral and can set things on fire with his brain meat, and there’s been a dude falling from the sky repeatedly.

Aforementioned skyfall dude touched down outside of Area 77, unfortunately, meaning we have to go talk to him and probably get a warrant or something.

The guy he’s bunked up with is named Keralis. According to my fellow generals, and also Scar’s friend Cub, he’s not too bad of a guy. _Hopefully_ I can just ask nicely and we’ll be able to talk things out.

And if not, well, I may not have the raw fear-inducing energy of Doc, but I can do some Stuff.

Log ends.


	2. 2.2

Kakujo stood outside Keralis’s house, nervously fidgeting with the weird pointless buttons on his suit. Why did he have a suit again? Why was it bright red?

Okay, to be fair, he  _ technically  _ knew the answer to both of these questions. It was his uniform, and also he’d wanted it to be a dark-colored red because that was  _ his _ color and Scar’s was blue.

He knocked on the door, trying to be very polite and all that.

“Anyone home?”

The door opened a crack, revealing a man in a short-sleeved hoodie with wide, cat-looking eyes that were slits as he stared at Kakujo with confusion and mild suspicion.

“You’ve got a warrant?”

“I’m not here to arrest anyone.”

“Oh, alright, that’s okay then.” Keralis - this had to be him, because his image was still in the logs Kakujo now had access to - opened the door and stepped out, hands in his pockets. “What did you need instead of illegal searches or espionage or arrests?”

Kakujo leaned up against one of the outer walls of the house, trying to stay casual and not spook the guy. “Have y’had any visitors lately, Keralis?”

“Nope! It’s been just me. Lonely ol’ me, up in my humble abode overlooking a giant airfield.” 

This was blatantly a lie. Blatantly a blatant lie. And yet - Kakujo found himself nodding, even though he knew for sure that the Falling Man had landed in the pool he was standing right beside.

He frowned. “You’re certain?”

“General three, look at me. Look me in the eyes. I  _ promise _ it’s been just me up here.” Keralis’s eyes were wide and innocent. He seemed by all accounts a nice guy.

“Alright, I’ll leave you to it then,” Kakujo said, unleaning from the wall and putting his hands behind his back, “if you could just answer me one more question.”

“Go ahead!”

He stared down at Keralis, friendly grin gone off his face. “Did you  _ really _ think you were gonna get away with using capital-p  _ Persuasion _ on me?”

That had to be what this was, after all - several things had clicked into place. Why Keralis could just go wherever he wanted, why nobody was able to easily kick him out of Area 77 and why he was just - like that. Agreeable. He’d been using very subtle, almost totally depowered mind tricks to get people to get along with him better. And that just wouldn’t fly.

Keralis stared down at the ground in silence for a couple seconds, and then started giggling, one hand in front of his face as he snickered. “Oh no, General, I didn’t  _ think _ I’d get away with it, no.”

He raised his head, looked Kakujo right in the eyes.  “I  _ know _ I’m going to get away with it, because you’re not gonna speak of this to  _ anyone, _ are you Kakujo?”

Kakujo’s vision blurred; his head spun as he nodded and spoke in a low blank voice, without even willing himself to do it. “You’re right… I won’t tell anyone.” 

He felt his feet turn to leave, felt himself raising one arm to wave goodbye. He could just walk away, and that’d be fine. It wasn’t like the others would believe him, anyway -

He stopped short, brain snapping back to reality. That had been something  _ powerful _ . Sure, he was pretty good at getting people to do what he wanted by “asking nicely,” but this was on an  _ entirely different level _ of ability. This had worked on  _ him  _ \- even now, his feet were itching to move, just walk away, it was fine. Keralis was  _ good _ .

Kakujo tilted his head to look back at Keralis, fighting against the urge to leave to just say one last thing. He strained to stay in place as he stared Keralis right in the eyes.

_ “We’ll discuss this  _ **_later,_ ** _ Keralis.” _

And his body carried him away.


	3. 2.3

Format - audio feed from a conference room within Area 77. No video feed available.

Scar: So… you called us to a meeting, what's up KJ?

Several moments of silence.

Kakujo: Uh - right - sorry. Keralis wouldn’t budge. He insisted that he hadn’t seen anyone, and unless we had evidence to prove him wrong…

Doc: Kakujo, this is _serious business._ Our falling man is someone who should, on all accounts, be _dead._ There is a one _hundred_ percent chance he landed in Keralis’s pool.

Kakujo: I - I just - couldn’t pin him down. Sorry.

Scar: It’s okay, I mean… Kakujo, what happened? You’re not exactly the kind of person who strikes me to let someone go when they’re guilty… 

Another long pause.

Kakujo: I’m not the type of person, but I - can’t quite - I mean, I just - due process, I guess?

Scar: I mean… I trust Doc’s math. If there’s a hundred percent chance that the falling man landed in Keralis’ pool, I trust it to be true. Doc?

Doc: There’s no way I miscalculated. There’s only one place within the radius I calculated that would break his fall without causing death.

Scar: Kakujo… are you… um… _certain_ , about what you’re saying?

Kakujo: About what part of what I’m saying?

There’s a pause.

Scar: Hey, Doc? I know I’m still figuring things out and taking it easy, but can we get an arrest warrant on Keralis? I’ll go as long as I’m given the clearance.

Doc: Depends on what we can pin him for. We can’t prove he’s lying without revealing confidential data, and anything else probably falls under double jeopardy…

Kakujo: I - don’t know if that’s a good idea. Arresting him again. That would probably - uh - make him less cooperative?

Scar: I mean using an arrest warrant to enter his home. I don’t gotta take him in unless he becomes an issue… but I think we need to know what’s in there.

Kakujo: …You know. Uh. It just occurred to me that - he’s already on guard - what if he moves the guy somewhere else?

Doc: Mmnrh. Good point. We may have to threaten to haul him in again. I don’t _like_ doing it, Keralis is a decent guy, but - this is obstruction of justice.

Kakujo: He is _really_ pleasant.

Another pause.

Scar: …Kakujo… can you- hold on.

Rustling of paper and then a click of a pen.

Scar: Can you… write down what happened?

Feed ends.


	4. 2.4

Format - digitalization of written note by General Kakujo. His handwriting is somewhat sloppy, almost frantic.

_Keralis has_ _powers_ _. The speech thing I did. It’s subtle and hard to pick up on because he did it so faintly, but I confronted him on it when I noticed._

_I don’t know_ _how_ _he managed it, but apparently he has a_ _lot_ _of untapped powers, and he made me agree to not talk to anyone about it and then basically waved me off._

_I can’t break it. I don’t know_ _why_ _I can’t break it. I’ve kept trying to tell you guys and I just_ _couldn’t_ _until Scar figured out this loophole._

Note ends.


	5. 2.5

Kakujo pushed the piece of paper back across the table to Scar and slumped into his chair, looking rather embarrassed.

“This - sort of thing - is supposed to be my specialty. Someone being better at that specific aspect is  _ scary _ .”

Scar read over the note in silence, a grimace on his face before he pushed the note to Doc.

“Yeah, yeah that’s not… great. But we’ll handle it. We’ve… handled worse, right?” Scar smiled nervously.

Doc, meanwhile, picked up the note and stared at it, lips curling up just slightly in a snarl. One corner of the paper began to emit faint wisps of smoke as he kept staring, too-tight grip crumpling the bottom half of the note.

“This is  _ unacceptable. _ ”

Scar frowned. “Uh… Doc… buddy, um… I agree, but you’re…” He trailed off, watching the smoke with faint concern.

“You’re doing the pyrokinesis thing again.”

Doc blinked. “Oh. So I am.” He put the piece of paper down, tried to smooth out some of the wrinkles, gave up, and sighed.

“General Kakujo, if I’m not mistaken, Keralis told  _ you specifically _ to not speak of this to anyone. Can you still hear me when I say that, for example, Keralis is capable of manipulating people with his voice?”

Kakujo tried to open his mouth to say that he could and found that no words were coming out. He sighed, slumped a little further in his seat, and nodded.

“So then, General Scar and I can discuss this in as much length and detail as we can try to lend to the situation, but you’re unable to make any verbal input about it directly. Is it only when we specify  _ what _ it is?”

“Yes,” Kakujo said. His eyes widened. “Second loophole - I got lucky, I guess.”

Doc frowned, steepled his fingers and hunched over the table. “This is bad news. I don’t think Keralis has any ill intent - I’m not just saying that because of what we’ve just figured out, he also  _ really _ doesn’t seem to have any ill intent - but, well, it’s still not  _ good _ .”

“You’re overheating your arm.”

“Unfortunate.”

“Doc, please take care of yourself.” Scar sighed and shook his head. “This… we can’t just leave him alone. If Keralis is out… manipulating people, there’s no telling what else he’s capable of or how far he’s willing to go. His intent might be good but… he might not know the consequences.  _ And _ we still need to figure out what happened to our falling man.”

Kakujo grabbed the piece of paper, hastily scribbled another line on it, and slid it back over to Doc, who glanced at it hastily before putting it back down on the table.

“You say he definitely does know what he’s doing, and you say that because?”

Kakujo took a deep breath. “He - when I asked him about  _ it  _ \- he started laughing. Right before he - yeah.”

“Well that’s just doubly worse then, isn’t it… I want to give him a chance… I mean we already locked him in here unfairly  _ once _ , we shouldn’t make it a repeat offense. But he  _ can’t _ be allowed to do these things like he is.” Scar muttered, leaning his cheek on his hand as he tried to form some kind of mental understanding of all the new facts.

“I don’t think - I didn’t sense  _ malice _ . Not like - like with -” Kakujo stammered, trying very hard not to make eye contact with Scar.

“The sock monkey I dismembered?” Doc cut in, grin full of teeth.

He winced. “Yeah.”

Scar didn’t speak for a moment, then slowly tried to move the conversation somewhere else. “Malice or not… manipulating a person isn’t…  _ good _ .”

Kakujo nodded. “I - did that - and shouldn’t have. I think - maybe if I talked to him again?”

“What benefit does that provide?” Doc said, raising an eyebrow.

“I might be able to get him to - not - and in the meantime, you can sneak around the back.”

“So… stealth mission? I think we can do that. Doc?”

“Better than sitting around. General Kakujo, how…  _ much _ interrogation will you be doing?”

He gritted his teeth. “Let’s put it this way, Doc. I told him  _ I would be back. _ ”


	6. 2.6

Format -  feed͘ ͠f͢r̵o͡m ͝s͠t̴e̸a͠lth ͞droņe ̧pos̢t̨e̢d ̶o̢utsid͡e K͝eralis's̴ ̴ho͢me͟st͞e͢a͟d.̢

Kakujo approaches the building, hands behind his back, and bangs against the door with a bit more savagery than was probably needed.

Kakujo: I’m back, Keralis.

Keralis pokes his head out.

Keralis: You got a warrant this time?

Kakujo grins and snaps his fingers. The world jitters. Keralis is standing outside the door, which has slammed behind him.

Keralis: What the-

Kakujo: I’ll do you  _ one better, _ Keralis. Let’s  _ talk. _

He puts his hands in his pockets, looms over Keralis, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

Kakujo: I didn’t enjoy that little  _ stunt _ you pulled yesterday. You’re lucky I couldn’t talk to anyone about it.

Keralis snickers.

Keralis: Sorry to make things inconvenient for you, but I like to keep my business private.

Kakujo: No, I mean you’re lucky I couldn’t tell anyone about it because if Doc found out,  _ you would not have a house right now _ .

Keralis stares at Kakujo.

Keralis: He’s not  _ that _ scary, you know?

Kakujo: Did you know I used to be in containment in Area 77 before I worked for them? Trust me when I say, I tried a trick like that on Doc and he gets  _ terrifying _ when he’s angry. 

Keralis: I’ll take your word for it - wait. You can also -

Kakujo’s eyes flare with light.

Kakujo:  _ You’re not going to give me any more  _ **_suggestions_ ** _ , Keralis. Or you will find out  _ **_exactly what_ ** _ I can do. _

Feed  e̡nds̴.


	7. 2.7

Format - feed from stealth drone posted outside Keralis’s homestead.

Scar moves quietly across the side of the house, then looks over and motions to someone in the bushes - Doc.

Doc nods and moves around the other side, tapping his head as he speaks in an undertone.

Doc: Keralis and General Kakujo are gone. We have five minutes.

Scar: Gotcha.

He finds a back entrance and opens the door, peeking in and then a hand to Doc to follow when he sees the coast is clear.

It's a humble house, sleek in design. But it’s not left alone in modern white-wall hell. Bushes are placed here and there. Some are flowering.

Doc narrows his eyes.

Doc: We’re looking for signs of more than one person living here, or any other evidence. Stay alert.

Scar: Will do.

They walk up the stairs. Scar takes the chance to check for extra items, any signs of more life - and there it is. A separate chest, plainly labeled with  _ BUBBLES’ STUFF DO NOT TOUCH :3 _

Doc’s face is caught halfway between a wide grin and a scowl. He speaks with barely contained emotion, something unidentifiable.

Doc: It  _ is _ him.

Scar: What?

Doc: The falling man. It’s him. It should be impossible, but it’s  _ him _ .

Scar: Doc, you’re not making any sense.  _ Who _ is it? Why should it be impossible?

Doc’s fists are clenched, the metal of his robotic arm starting to glow with heat. He stares at the chest, looking close to tears.

Doc: Somehow. Despite everything that happened in that damned jungle. Somehow Bdubbs  _ survived. _

He looks away.

Doc: …We’d better leave before Keralis gets back.

Scar stares at him in silence, then nods.

Scar: Yeah… Yeah, let’s get out of here.

Doc opens one window and hops out onto the grass below, landing expertly on his feet; he gestures for Scar to follow suit.

Scar hangs out of the window, clearly debating the height before he becomes clearly distracted by something behind Doc and out of camera range. He doesn’t get to say something before -

???: Doc?

Doc takes a step back, staring in disbelief and stunned into silence.

???: Doc… what are you doing? Why are you snoopin’ around Keralis’ house? Dude… what?

Doc: I’m - do you -

He takes another step backwards.

Doc: You’re  _ alive. _

???: Yeah I’m alive!! What are you going  _ on _ about! Dude, Doc! What’s going on?!

The person takes a step forward towards Doc.

Doc: You don’t - remember?

???: Remember  _ what _ ? The nHo? I remember  _ that _ and I remember you  _ leaving _ . And now you’re breaking into Keralis’ house! What on earth is going on, Doc?!

The figure takes another step forward, bolder, louder. Doc backs up further, gripping his trident with shaky hands.

Doc: I saw you  _ die _ .

???: Die? Doc, I - what are you - Dude, are you  _ okay _ ?

The figure takes another step forward, closing the distance and reaching out to grab Doc’s arm, concern clear on their face. Doc flinches.

Doc: Bdubbs - the jungle - what  _ happened? _

The world shudders suddenly, shaking underfoot.

The figure - Bdubbs - stumbles at the shaking earth.

Bdubbs: What - whoa, whoa, okay… - what do you  _ mean _ ? Doc, I stayed there while the rest of you went and  _ left _ . Dude… you  _ left. _

Doc: That’s - that wasn’t what happened. It must have -

He glances back behind him, at the house.

Doc: I  _ can’t _ talk now. If he catches us back here we are  _ screwed. _

Bdubbs frowns.

Bdubbs:  _ No _ , Doc, we gotta talk about this  _ now. _ What is going on? You can’t just go sneaking into people’s bases, get caught, and expect to not be questioned about it!!

Doc: I was looking for  _ you _ . But I can’t - look, I  _ promise _ I’ll explain later. Just -  _ don’t trust Keralis _ . Something’s really,  _ really _ wrong.

Before Bdubbs can ask anything further, Doc breaks into an inhumanly fast sprint, dashing back towards Area 77. Bdubbs tries to grab at him and fails, standing there with a scowl. 

Scar, meanwhile, finally makes up his mind and jumps down from the window, glancing at Bdubbs and walking off before he can speak.

Feed ends.


	8. 2.8

Fo  
rmat -

Kakujo opens his eyes to a dream that isn't his. Not the bare pines he'd escaped to so long ago, not the fog-filled abyss calling him with such alarming regularity. This is different.

The world is damp and warm. The air is thick and scented and everything is _green_ . It’s all teeming with life. But there's an underlying feeling of being _watched_. But there are no eyes. But still, something is observing him.

Kakujo grits his teeth. Whoever this belongs to, they're projecting their dream outwards, and probably not on purpose. He pushes his way through the thicket, trying his best to make some sense of the natural labyrinth.

The further he walks into the dream, the denser the foliage and flora gets. It’s too much. Some spots are dead ends with how _much_ there is. Other times… there's a clear path, and then it’s almost like the vines _grab_ , pull him back.

He takes a deep breath of humid air, runs through his options, and realizes he hasn't said anything yet.

"Hello?"

“Hello?” someone responds from up above.

Kakujo looks up, sees someone hanging upside down, vines wrapped loosely around his ankles, seemingly held aloft by leg strength alone.

The Hanged Man   
and the Magician  
~~lock~~ locked eyes.

"So," Kakujo said, trying to break the silence, "isn't the blood going to rush to your head?"

“No, not really. Well… okay, _eventually_ , but I’m all good right now. What about you?”

"I think I'll be alright," Kakujo responded, looking down at the ground. "Although I suppose I _am_ the upside-down one to you…"

“You are. But I meant more the fact that you uh… well you look kinda lost, buddy.”

"I've found my way out of stranger situations. Is this your dream?"

“Is this a dream?”

"That's how I ended up here. What's it for you, if not that?" He was going to be here for a while if this talking-in-circles kept going; might as well make himself comfortable.

He pulled up a chair and sat patiently. 

“I don’t know. Thought this was just… a place,” the man said, before swinging to grab the tree branch and pulling himself up into a sit, albeit backwards.

And then he pushed off of the branch and fell.

But he didn’t.

The vines tightened and a few more caught his arms. He landed gracefully and stood there, turning to face Kakujo.

“Weird place, but a place none-the-less.”

"Fair enough." Kakujo looked up at the sky - nothing but foliage, no fog, no falling leaves, just green. The trick with the vines was, well. It was probably nothing. But it wasn't nothing. But it had to mean _something_ about this place.

"How-?" The word caught in his throat; he really wasn't sure _what_ to ask.

“How what?”

Kakujo shrugged. "I was hoping you'd fill in with whatever 'how' question you felt like answering."

“If you meant the landing, it’s talent.” He grinned. “But… no, they help.”

"And 'they' are?" He furrowed his brow. "Actually, wait, who are _you_ , also?"

“Bdubbs, nice to meet you…?” the man asked, extending a hand forward.

There were vines under his sleeve. Not - just his sleeve. Kakujo could see them trailing from under his feet, coiling gently out of view.

"Kakujo." He took the man's hand and

saw thick fog trying to envelop them both

something gently tugging at his free arm

something was here, hiding in wait.

He withdrew his hand, hoping he hadn't been too impolite. 

“Kakujo. Nice to meet you. And they are… well…” Bdubbs gestured at the jungle.

The Jungle.

Kakujo closed his eyes, listened to the noises of plant life around him, really tried to parse out background noise from distress, and found he couldn't.

"Do you ever leave?" he found himself asking. Probably not a good move.

“Here? Yeah. I’m not here often. Not anymore, at least.”

"Huh,” he said, staring up at the branch where Bdubbs had been hanging, trying very hard to not think about the spooky vines. “So… now what?”

“I don’t know… why are _you_ here? Usually it’s just me. Only me.”

“That sounds pretty lonely.”

Bdubbs nodded slowly. “Yeah… yeah, it kinda is. But… I mean… better than having liars about.”

Kakujo cocked his head to the side, glad to have an avenue of discussion that wasn’t about him accidentally traipsing into someone else’s dreams. “What do you mean by that, liars?”

“Folks who say one thing and mean another. Ya know the type, people who will go behind your back… leave. Disappear without so much as looking behind and saying ‘Hey! Bdubbs! We’re not gonna be here anymore, ‘kay?’ ‘KAY! That’s A-OKAY _BUDDY_ .” Bdubbs snapped, his voice going from low and calm to - very quickly - loud and angry and _hysterical._

He took a step back, raised his hands in the air. “I - I don’t know what you’re talking about. Are you… okay?”

Bdubbs chuckled, the sound deep and unsettling. The vines twisted tighter around his hands and ankles.

“Do I _sound_ okay? Do I SOUND OKAY!? What do you think, Kakujo, huh? What does somebody do when the rest of the group just FUCKS OFF!? Just picks up and leaves without you?! Is that _okay?_ Is that **_okay?!_ **”

As he got louder, more agitated, so did the Jungle, its flora none the happier with an intruder in its midst. It shifted, slinking towards Kakujo and trying to wrap around his feet, to pull him down - to either _rid him_ or _bring him in_ ,

either one with the Jungle

or against it.

The landscape flickers. Kakujo sees fog. It sweeps in around them in billows, pulling at them, obscuring the canopy above and the plant life around and the dirt below, and he _struggles_ . Not against the vines, he could care less, just trying to reach out to the person who was _just_ across from him, who’s in _danger_.

“Bdubbs!” He gets one hand free of the snares, tries to make out the person across from him as the fog keeps rolling in. “Can you hear me?”

Bdubbs doesn’t answer. Either he can’t hear or… he doesn’t _want_ to.

And the vines continue to grab and slither.

And maybe they have thorns in place of flowers.

And maybe, just maybe

the world goes dark.


	9. 2.9

Format - that’s not quite right. Let’s try it again.

Doc opens his eyes in a waking dream and sees fire. It burns and clears a path through charred who-knows-what, and he walks.

Is there fog? Is there a jungle roof above him, is there dirt below him that isn’t burned to cinders, is there anything remaining?

The smoke doesn’t hurt his throat, because he is the fire, steadily making his way through the world in a haze.

There is no one here to greet him. The dreamscape is empty,

save for Death.


	10. 2.10

Keralis hadn’t slept super well - not so much in terms of having nightmares, but he just hadn’t been able to actually  _ fall _ asleep. He’d kept drifting off, losing maybe fifteen minutes, and then coming to not tired in the slightest.

It sucked.

So, he sat out on his deck overlooking the pool, hands in his pockets, and just stared at the sunrise, trying not to think about yesterday. Trying not to think about Bubbles suddenly acting weird, more importantly about the “talk” he’d had with General Kakujo.

Because, well,  _ brr. _ That sure wasn’t an experience he wanted to have again.

Bdubbs walked out onto the deck with a sigh. "Hey, Keralis, buddy, have you heard or seen anything from Doc?"

Keralis shook his head. “All quiet on the Area 77 front… I haven’t seen anyone from there except the new guy in the red jacket.”

"New guy? Wasn't aware we had one of those…"

He sighed, pulled himself further into the deck chair. “I wasn’t really aware we had one, either, until he showed up at the door and started - started being - rude. Just… kinda rude. Asking a bunch of personal questions.”

"Well that just ain't right." Bdubbs muttered, tugging at his sweater sleeves before looking back at Keralis. "If ya don't mind little old me asking, what kind of questions? Wanna see how badly dude needs to be told off, you know?"

"I think he wanted to know your location. I told him I hadn't seen you. And - then -"

His mouth felt dry. He couldn't say it. Physically couldn't open his mouth to explain what had happened.

Bdubbs frowned, walking over and squatted down to look at Keralis. "Hey - hey, buddy, it's okay… it's okay. You didn't do anything wrong… are _you_ _okay?_ " he asked. Whatever this new person wanted… he didn't like it.

“I’m - fine.” He tugged at the collar of his shirt nervously. “I was the one that escalated it anyway.”

“ _ You _ escalated it?” He asked, leaning back on his heels to stare at Keralis. That didn’t sound right.

Keralis opened his mouth and closed it again, then looked down at the ground, hiding his eyes from Bdubbs in the shadow of his hat. “We just didn’t get along, that’s all. Can’t please everyone, right?”

He didn’t put a  _ lot _ of intent into the statement - certainly, not  _ nearly _ as much energy as he’d used when he’d panicked yesterday - but it was still a tiny bit more than the usual nudge. A subtle, back-of-the-mind “but  _ we _ get along, and that’s okay, and you can trust me, right?” to try and get back into a normal standing  _ somewhere _ .

“No… you can’t please everyone…” Bdubbs muttered, standing up. “But you don’t strike me as the person who escalates things often, Keralis. What… what happened?”

Maybe, just for now, he’d listen to Doc.

Keralis shrugged. “I must have said something he didn’t like. C’mon, Bubbles, look me in the eyes, would this face lie to you?”

Bdubbs did not meet his eyes.

“I don’t know,  _ buddy _ , would you?”


	11. 2.11

Format - combined audio and video feeds from within an empty Area 77 containment cell, synced manually.

Doc stands in the middle of the room, hands in his lab coat, looking up at the ceiling. He’s muttering to himself.

Doc: -so if it always looped him to over cloud height without a spawn, then-

Scar comes walking into view just outside the cell, but within earshot.

Scar: Doc?

Doc: Oh, Scar. How’d your rounds go?

Scar: Just fine… Doc, why… why are you in there? What are you even doing?

Doc grins sheepishly.

Doc: You know whose containment area this was, General?

Scar: Uhh… I'm gonna take a wild guess and say KJ's?

Doc: You’d be correct.

Scar shakes his head with a worried smile.

Scar: Wonderful… but that doesn't answer either of my questions. What's up, Doc?

Doc: I had an odd dream, took a walk to clear my head. It’s strange, but this particular room feels like it’s still not _really_ empty.

Doc: It’s like him being in here left some sort of magical residue. Or like it purged the air, maybe.

Scar frowns, leaning his weight into his non-ceramic leg.

Scar: I… don't think I quite understand, but… Doc - I - what kind of dream?

Doc: …Fire. 

Scar: …Fire.

Scar: What happened?

Doc stares at his own hands.

Doc: Nothing happened. Just… fire. A landscape of it, in every direction. 

Scar: You think it has to do with… 

Scar trails off, letting the question hang in the air unspoken.

Doc shrugs.

Doc: Could just be the stress getting to me. I wish I'd had more time to talk to Bdubbs.

Scar: Maybe.

Scar: You know… you should try and arrange something to be able to talk to him. Especially if the stress is giving you nightmares…

A rueful grin from Doc.

Doc: Easier said than done. Do you know what it's like, to have last seen someone covered in vines and gore, barely clinging to life as you yell that you're not going to leave them behind? To have that same person show up, clean as the driven snow, no memory of that, saying that you _abandoned_ them?

Doc: I don't understand what happened. I can't have misremembered something like that when the image _won't_ leave my mind.

Scar shifts on his feet, uncomfortable with the clear image of viscera in his head, the guilt of similar memories.

Scar: I… don't know, Doc. I don't know what to say. I… thought I couldn't have had any more issues after KJ helped me out and- then- well…

Scar gestures unceremoniously towards his leg; Doc looks down at his hands again.

Doc: I'm certain it's not to do with you. It's - hard to imagine that thing being able to recover from what I… _did_.

Scar: I - maybe - I don't know. I… it's hard… to trust your own head, sometimes. More so now than ever, it feels.

Doc nods.

Doc: I understand that all too well. If there's - anything I can do, let me know.

Scar: I think you've done your fair share. And right now I just want to help you out with whatever's going on with Bdubbs… and also Kakujo and Keralis… Wanna make certain no more accidents happen.

Doc: You and me both, Scar. Speaking of which… have you seen Kakujo around at all?

Scar: No, not today… have you?

Doc shakes his head.

Doc: No… No, I haven’t. Maybe he overslept again.

Scar: Want me to check on him?

Kakujo’s voice rings against the walls of the containment chamber. He sounds _very_ tired.

Kakujo: I’ll be alright. Sorry I’m late to whatever impromptu meeting this is.

Scar pauses, looking around a bit startled.

Scar: Uh… you - where are you? And uh… it’s fine, it’s… yeah… impromptu.

Kakujo steps out of a camera blind spot and waves.

Kakujo: ‘Ey.

Scar: Oh. Hey… how you doing?

Kakujo: ‘M alright. You two okay?

Scar: I am… Doc, do you… wanna…

Doc frowns.

Doc: I’m not always the best with subtlety, what would you like me to do?

Scar: You wanna tell him about your dream?

Kakujo winces.

Kakujo: You too, huh…

Doc: I - well, two people having weird dreams in the same night, that’s - concerning. Especially considering the last time it happened was while you were in containment.

Doc: You didn’t also happen to dream about fire, did you?

Kakujo shakes his head.

Doc: Ah. Well, I suppose that’s one thing it _wasn’t_ , then.

Scar frowns.

Scar: What… was your dream about, Kakujo?

He takes a deep breath in.

Kakujo: I was, uh, wandering around in this jungle, right? And I ran into a dude who was upside-down, and we talked, and then he started getting really sad and I asked if he was doing okay and that was probably the wrong answer because then the jungle just, kind of, uh, tried to eat me? And then things got foggy on top of all that - literal fog, like the stuff in the nightmare we shared, Scar - and I was like, wow, this is very bad, can you still hear me, and then everything went dark.

Kakujo: Yeah.

Scar stands there, silent, clearly startled and a bit pale to boot; Doc just stares at Kakujo, stunned.

Doc: This… person. That you met in the jungle. Did you get his name?

Kakujo: Yeah… yeah, he said it was Bdubbs.

Doc’s eyes widen.

Doc: That’s - that’s the person who fell from the sky. That’s - you said the jungle tried to eat you? When he was getting upset?

Kakujo: Uh… yes?

Doc: …I’ll be back in a bit.

He bolts out of the room before either of the two generals can stop him.

Scar stands there, tense, before shaking his head and looking over at Kakujo.

Scar: I… have a bad feeling about this.

Kakujo: If - if this guy _is_ the person living with Keralis - Doc might burn the dude’s house down if he gets even the tiniest psychic nudge. This is - we’ve gotta go after him.

He nods.

Scar: Yeah… let’s… let’s get going.

Feed ends.


	12. 2.12

Format - feed from stealth drone posted outside Keralis’s home.

Doc runs full-tilt onto the property, nearly barrelling straight through the fencing and coming very close to tripping into the pool. He stops just short of it, then turns and bangs on the door with one hand.

Keralis opens the door, looking nervously around the area before staring wide-eyed at Doc.

Keralis: What… what do you want? I haven’t been trespassing, I promise-

Doc: Where is he?

Keralis: I- what?

Doc: Where. Is. He.

Keralis: Doc, I don’t know who you’re talking about, there are a lot of “he” people-

Doc swings his robotic hand at one wall swiftly, stopping just short of slamming it against the quartz and shattering it.

Doc: _You know damn well who I’m asking about, Keralis._

Keralis: I - uh - can you  please calm down, Doc? You’re scaring me just a little…

Bdubbs rounds the corner, walking slower at the noise.

Bdubbs: Doc? Keralis? What in the sweet Nether is going on?

Keralis grimaces.

Keralis: Right, uh, there’s your dude, I’m just gonna -

He ducks inside, shutting the door behind him and - judging by the distinct _click_ sound - locking it.

Doc visibly deflates.

Doc: Well… I _was_ going to ask him if we could talk in private, anyway. 

Bdubbs: …Doc, first you break into Keralis’s house. Second, you tell me not to trust him. Third, you then come up to Keralis’s house and start banging on the door all angry-like, and on _top_ of it all you _left_. Why… why would I want to talk in private?

Doc: Because - because exactly that. Because you remember me leaving, and I remember something _entirely different._

Bdubbs frowns.

Bdubbs: Yeah. Yeah, you said you thought I was _dead_ . I wasn’t _dead_.

Doc: Well, I’m sorry, but when you see one of your best friends _covered in blood_ and being dragged into the jungle _by their legs_ via some unknown force, you tend to _assume_ they’re dead! I think that’s a pretty understandable _mistake !_

Bdubbs: Yeah, and I think seeing your group of friends, ya know, get up and _walk out_ with not so much as a _peep_ or “goodbye!” is a pretty decent reason to think you left me! You _all_ left me! Probably to go shack up with Rendog or - who’s the fella you were with earlier - oh yeah! Scar!

Doc sputters.

Doc: I didn’t _leave!_ Are you - I looked for _so long_ and you were just - just _gone!_ Without a-

Kakujo: _Doc,_ **_stop!_ **

Kakujo, panting and out of breath, rounds the corner, leaning against the wall.

Kakujo: I know you’re - worried about your friend - but arson is a crime -

He blinks.

Kakujo: Oh, nothing’s on fire. Neat.

Scar runs up behind him, nearly tripping before catching himself and trying to catch his breath in tandem.

Scar: Doc - 

Bdubbs: Oh great, more of your _new_ friends.

Kakujo stares at Bdubbs.

Kakujo: …You… look different.

Bdubbs looks over at Kakujo, squinting at him for a moment.

Bdubbs: I’m sorry… do I know you?

Kakujo: The - you don’t remember having a weird dream last night? You did, like, some acrobat stunts in the jungle? And then tried to, uh, I don’t even know what but it was plants and not good?

Bdubbs: …

Bdubbs: Sorry, buddy, dreams are a bit hazy for me.

Kakujo: …Well, uh, that’s - pretty normal. Okay. That’s the first normal thing I have _ever_ encountered here. Huh.

Doc: General, can you _please_ focus?

Bdubbs: Focus on _what_ , Doc? Weird dream conversations, or your messed up memory?

Doc: The fact that we remember two entirely incompatible versions of what happened, yeah. That.

Kakujo turns to Scar and mutters something, voice lowered.

Kakujo: Hey, uh. Should I do the thing?

Scar pauses and then nods.

Scar: Uh… worth a shot?

Kakujo takes a step forward, trying not to look too hard at either Bdubbs or Doc, arms folded behind his back. The air hums with energy.

Kakujo: Will you two _please_ calm down?

Bdubbs goes still. And then he’s off towards Kakujo, reaching out to grab him by the collar.

Bdubbs: _You._

Kakujo looks at Bdubbs, clearly confused - although way calmer than anyone being grabbed by the collar and close-range stared at should be.

Kakujo: Thought you… said you didn’t remember your dreams?

Bdubbs: I _don’t_ . But I know that kind of bull. I don’t remember things _clearly_ , but I know when someone’s _pissed me off_.

Kakujo raises both hands over his head, trying to look non-threatening.

Kakujo: I was - the fog, okay, I was worried about it trying to get at you or something, because it did that to _Scar_ and it does that to me _every night_. I swear I wasn’t trying to - I don’t even know what you think I was doing, invade your turf? I wasn’t doing whatever nefarious actions you think I was!

Bdubbs: You’re just as much a liar as the rest of them.

His pupils are green.

Kakujo opens his mouth, then closes it again, lips pursed in annoyance.

Kakujo: 

Feed ends.


	13. 2.13

Doc stumbled, knees faltering again as Kakujo said  _ something _ . A familiar feeling, that whole “77-2 says a thing and suddenly the world is just falling apart” bit, but this - this was different. This was wholly, totally  _ worse _ , because back  _ then _ it had been an accident.

This was purposeful. Targeted. When his vision blurred, swimming in front of him like he’d accidentally opened his eyes underwater, he felt something else, something other than just a headache from trying to comprehend.

A crushing feeling of being  _ tiny _ . Like thinking too long about how huge the world was, or how much of it would remain unexplored, or how every single person you passed by even briefly had their own complicated history and life.

He tried to get to his feet, opening his mouth to say something - unsure what, if anything he said was even going to matter at all.

“Bdubbs?” he managed, trying to blink away the fuzziness from his eyes.

Bdubbs, despite having some unholy anger in him, did not have enough to keep the feeling at bay. He had fallen to his knees, dropping Kakujo’s collar and sat there, half there and half not.

His breathing was shaky and so was his body.

And then he chuckled lowly, a sore voice, 

“ _ Nice one, buddy. _ ”

Kakujo, for his part, had already taken a step back, dusting off his collar. He stared at Bdubbs, a strange look in his eyes.

Doc wanted to crawl into a hole and just sort of bury himself in the dirt just  _ seeing _ that look, not even  _ directed _ at him.

“I don’t enjoy being called a liar when I’m telling the truth,” the general said, voice almost completely monotone. “And I also really don’t like when people attack me while I’m trying to be nice, you know?”

“If you think  _ that _ was an attack, you’re sorely wrong…” Bdubbs muttered. But he didn’t meet Kakujo’s eyes.

“M-” Scar coughed at the roughness in his voice, almost like the whole incident had pulled it from him, “Maybe we need to take a step back… threats aren’t going to get us places.”

“I promise, I’m not trying to threaten anyone,” Kakujo responded, voice still ringing with something just plain  _ other _ . “It’s just that he caught me a bit off-guard, and - well, it was this or probably get eaten by the Jungle again.”

Scar elected to stay silent on that one.

“The Jungle doesn’t  _ eat _ people,” Bdubbs said, his voice low and quiet. And it’s then that it was clearest to Doc that, under the collar of his sweater, there was  _ movement _ .

Vines.

It came back to him. The piece he’d been missing from that memory.

There hadn’t been another creature dragging his friend into the jungle, lurking out of view.

It’d been the jungle itself.

Something started to smell like smoke, like embers from a wildfire, like burning, because this - this was what had taken Bdubbs from him, this damned plant life.

He’d burn it all to the ground. Every scrap of flora, every individual leaf.

Doc started laughing, still too weak to stand on his feet, hunched over and snickering softly in a low, rough tone.

Bdubbs looked over at him, pupils still glittering like emeralds. “What are  _ you _ laughing about?”

“Nothing much,” he responded, grinning back at Bdubbs, tears running down his face. “I just finally realized what happened, that’s all.”

He took his trident out, used it to brace himself as he got to his feet slowly, leaning his weight on the weapon as he stepped forward until he was looming above the green-eyed man, robotic arm glowing red-hot with fire.

“ _ You give him back _ ,” he growled, “ _ or I will start a forest fire the likes of which will  _ **_never_ ** _ be matched.” _

“ _ He’s _ talking to you,  _ Doc _ . Back off.”

Doc chuckled dryly, staring at - no,  _ past _ Bdubbs, like he was seeing something that wasn’t there. “ _ I got rid of that stupid little sock-puppet and its home, don’t think it could be  _ **_that_ ** _ hard to burn down a few trees. Give him his memory back, you plant bastards.” _

“Doc…” Scar started, concern in his voice - before Bdubbs cut him off.

“I  _ have _ my memory, Doc!!  _ You’re _ the one whose memory is all screwy! You thought I  _ died _ _!_ What the hell!?”

He raised his free hand, still awkwardly gripping the trident with pale knuckles, to try and wipe the tears off his face - a gesture that didn’t quite work, seeing as he was still sort of in the act of  _ producing _ them.

“I - looked for so  _ long _ \- and there was no trace of him, no sign of a house or even a single chest, just  _ jungle _ . They - had to drag me away. I shouldn’t have let them. I’m not walking away now. You’ve had your fun with him, whatever, I don’t care, that’s my  _ friend _ you’re telling me I abandoned,  _ step  _ **_off,_ ** _ you accursed flora. _ ”

Bdubbs went to get up, stumbling back to his knees - the product of Kakujo’s word still clinging to him. The vines shifted tighter and he couldn’t help but grab at his own wrist, feeling the plant move.

“The Jungle isn’t having  _ fun _ , Doc. It doesn’t - it’s not - God help me, you really don’t make this  _ easy _ , do you buddy? It’s  _ mutual _ .”

Doc stopped short, prosthetic arm dropping to his side and singeing his labcoat as he took a shaky step back, out of Bdubbs’s personal space. “It - what?”

“It’s  _ mutual _ . We made an agreement. I’m  _ working _ with it. Doc, I don’t know  _ what _ your problem is as of late - all this ‘you died’ and ‘Keralis can’t be trusted’, but it’s really,  _ really _ obnoxious. Like, buddy, what is  _ UP _ with you??”

“I can explain the Keralis part,” Kakujo said, raising his hand like he was in class and getting called on or something. “It’s because he’s - ah - what I mean to say is, it - there’s - oh,  _ really? Still!?” _

He gestured wildly at his mouth, which was super not saying the words he wanted it to.  _ Thanks, _ Keralis, y’jerk.

“I mean,  _ maybe _ Keralis does some… not so  _ nice _ things sometimes, but it’s not like we haven’t done that kind of not-so-nice too. Doc, remember when we tried to frame one of the others on a prank on Mumbo to get him to join the nHo? That was  _ rude _ , but we did it…” Bdubbs muttered, mostly rambling at this point.

Scar frowned. “I… I think maybe we need to recover from uh…” he gestured at Kakujo, trying to be polite, “ _ That thing that you did _ , and then… maybe let’s all have a meeting - Keralis too - I think… we all have some explaining to do.”

"I would appreciate that a lot," said a voice from behind the door. "I have a  _ lot  _ of questions right now and most of them are boiling down to 'please don't kill dear ol Keralis' currently."

Right. He lived here. Kakujo really wanted to facepalm, but decided against it because he had a  _ reputation _ to maintain, dang it.

"That - sounds like a good idea," he said, walking over to Scar (the closest and least stabby person) to help him up.

Doc sighed. "I guess we all have a lot to go over, huh."


	14. 2.14

Format - audio from an Area 77 meeting room. No camera footage available.

Scar: So… I think, maybe, we should start with one person at a time for their side of things, yeah?

Kakujo: Yeah, probably. I'd offer to go first, but… 

Pointed silence.

Keralis: Alright, alright, fine. I _maybe_ have just a _tiny_ bit of an ability to charm people. I don't usually, really, do it very much, slightly?

Bdubbs: You tried to use that to _lie_ to me about that. Buddy, I’m no pinnacle of good morals, but that seems kinda shifty to me.

Scar: And you did use it on Kakujo… 

Keralis: I _panicked_ , okay? I almost never do it more than just making myself a little more pleasant to be around, but General Cocky Joe called me out on it and I just sort of freaked out and told him not to talk to anyone about it.

Keralis: I don't wanna be evil at people or whatever you think my crimes are, honest.

Doc: Well, that backfired a bit, didn't it… Kakujo showed back up here all panicked and unable to talk about it. We're all lucky Scar managed to find a loophole.

Scar: I don’t think it was the best course of action. If you had just explained yourself, I think we would’ve taken it fine. After all, Doc and I got over KJ’s use of it on us when we uh… had him captive… Sorry, Kakujo.

Kakujo: It was definitely a dumb decision of mine.

Keralis sighs.

Keralis: Alright, fine, I'm sorry. Kakujo,  you can talk about it again. I don't think you all need the rest of my story. Bdubbs fell into my swimming pool and that's about it.

Kakujo: Thanks. Uh - who next?

Bdubbs: Guess I could go next… if that’s what you folks want.

Doc: You'll have to tell your side of the story at some point, but if you want to hold off, I know Scar and Kakujo probably have some things to share too. 

Bdubbs: I mean… if you both want to, I’m also good with waiting.

Scar: …Not much on my end, truly. Just… concerned about the goings on. After all, the last big issue we had ended with - uh - serious injury… And a lot of guilt.

Scar: I just don’t want a repeat. That’s all.

Kakujo: Should I - uh - Doc, how much am I actually supposed to tell everyone? Is there a question I should be answering, or…

Keralis: I dunno, I kind of want to know how the heck you did… any of that anything?

Bdubbs: Yeah, I’m curious as well.

Scar: Just… say what you think is useful, right Doc?

Doc: Probably the abridged version of the story, but yes.

Kakujo: Whooh. All right. So… maybe about half a month ago I got contained by these guys, tried some dark magic shenanigans and failed, then found out Scar had a weird something doing memory shenanigans to him. We sort of all called truce and I got hired.

Kakujo: I thought I'd solved it, the weird brain loops thing, then he vanished about a week later. Um… long story short, we found the thing causing it, Doc terminated it with extreme prejudice, and Scar had to get a new leg because - uh, he needed one.

Kakujo: Then Bdubbs fell from the sky and I got sent to Keralis to ask about it? I think that catches us up, right?

Scar: Yup. Sounds… right.

Bdubbs: Well… I guess I can see why you might’ve been all worked up then.

Doc: We were all still sort of on edge from that incident, yes. It's kind of complicated - there was a lot of mistrust going around that week. Especially because… well, I'll explain that when it's my turn.

Doc: Bdubbs…?

Bdubbs: …

Bdubbs: It’s a _long_ story. I mean… you guys, uh, the nHo… they all had things to do back then. Etho was working on crazy amazing mechanics, Beef was doing some beautiful work, _you_ were… rigging the place to the heavens -

He chuckles.

Bdubbs: So I… didn’t know what to do between all the chaos. So I went walking. Through the jungle, The Jungle, that is. Didn’t really understand it at first. Just lookin’ for some kind of inspiration to work with. And it hit me - literally. Very literally, that is. Uh… I got smacked in the face with a vine. Startled the _heck_ out of me, but hey, who am I to judge.

Bdubbs: Anywho, I… got to understand it? Sort of - it doesn’t Speak. Not really. But it conveys emotion well. And it was… lonely? Kind of - not the right word - something like that. So I decided to give it a chance. No harm no foul. And we got along. I built a tree. And it was great! And…

Bdubbs: …

Bdubbs: Then… you all _left_. I don’t know why… I assumed… maybe we scared you off, there had been a few… issues - misunderstandings - but nothing serious. But I mean… being covered in vines isn’t exactly uh… very fashion forward.

Bdubbs: But I assumed you’d come back. And you… didn’t. So I… sat. In the Jungle. For so… _so_ long. And the next thing I knew, I was falling. Endlessly _falling_.

Bdubbs: Now I’m here. Keralis gave me a home, and I appreciate that - really, I do. And then you had to come and _show up_ . After everything that had happened you **_showed up_ ** . Told me my memories were wrong. Acted like I was _wrong_. So… I got a little mad. I mean… it wasn’t right, but… I don’t think what you did was right either.

Doc: …Well. Now we get to the crux of the matter.

Doc: Scar, are you… going to be okay, hearing this? It has to do with - with your alien.

Scar: …Y-yeah. Yeah, I’ll be okay… Fine.

Doc: Happened like Bdubbs said, at first. The nHo, that is, everything was going just fine. I didn't really even mind the vines, figured it was just camouflage, and then -

He takes a long, slow breath.

Doc: I came back one day to just - just _carnage_. Blood everywhere. Scraps of clothing from people I knew and loved.

Doc: I ran around the place frantic, trying to find someone alive, and I - saw you, getting dragged off into the forest. I thought, really thought, the creature was trying to finish the job.

Doc: Must have been searching for ages when the others found me and told me I had to move on. I'd been wandering that jungle for so long, looking for any sign that one of the nHo might have survived, even just a memento, but - nothing. It was like the jungle swallowed everything whole, even the old things we built.

Doc: So - time passed. I tried not to think about it. And then - then Scar showed me the alien. That thing in the pit, chewing on the bones of my friends. I gave up hope then, mostly…

A long pause.

Kakujo: And then - what happened when Scar vanished, when we went to recover him, right?

Doc: Yes. That. I - it's a bit of a blur. I think I tore it apart. I think there was fire. I think I assumed that'd be my closure, finally.

Doc: And - then you fell from the sky. Even though I thought you'd been eaten, by the alien or the jungle or some combination thereof. Can you really blame me for acting weird?

Bdubbs: But that _didn’t_ happen. I think I’d remember being _killed_ , Doc.

Doc: Do you _really_ think I'm lying? I have nightmares to this _very day._ I still see bodies and viscera and blood _everywhere_ . I only _wish_ I could forget those sights.

Bdubbs: I never _said_ you’re lying. I’m just saying that’s not what I _know happened_ . Maybe your memory was messed with, I don’t _know_ . I just know I don’t remember _dying_.

Keralis: Okay. Okay, let's take a step back-

Kakujo: You're doing it again.

Keralis: I'm trying to keep the situation calm!

Kakujo: Just - proceed with caution. 

Keralis: Alright, okay, jeez. Safety nut. Anyway, that's our issue right there, yeah? The way I see it, there's a few different explanations.

Keralis: One - the alien messed with Doc's memories to make him think everyone died, and the nHo disbanded. Two - the rest of the nHo did die, but Bdubbs didn't and Doc assumed he did because, well, blood everywhere. Either way, jungle takes him into a back room to heal, and Doc and Bdubbs can't find each other.

Doc: That still doesn't address him not remembering -

Kakujo: Could just be trauma or stress?

Keralis: Yeah, what Kakujo said. Guess it could technically also be the Jungle, trying to help you not have to deal with your friends, uh… being dead?

Keralis: That sentence was a lot less accusatory in my head.

Bdubbs: That doesn’t make any sense-

Silence.

Kakujo: Wait, Keralis… if your charm trick worked on me at full power, would it - work on something similar?

Keralis laughs nervously.

Keralis: I'm not sure I like where you're going with this… 

Kakujo: I'm just saying. If you ask them both, entities and all, to confirm details. It could work.

Bdubbs: Do it.

Doc: I'm game.

Keralis sighs.

Keralis: Okay, fine. Doc, Bdubbs, please confirm that what you've told us was true.

Doc: It is.

Bdubbs: …

Nothing.

Keralis: Bubbles? You okay?

Bdubbs: … _Nope_.

Keralis: What's - uh - what's going on, buddy?

Bdubbs: Seems… Doc must be right.

Doc: Oh.

Kakujo: Doc, are _you_ alright?

Doc: No. No, I'm not. But… thank you, Keralis.

Bdubbs: I still… It wasn’t the Jungle. And I still _trust_ it to… some extent. And I don’t appreciate you yelling at me about it.

Doc: I'll concede that point. It sounds like it wasn't the Jungle. Apologies for yelling.

A long pause.

Doc: At least that _thing_ is dead and we can all get on with our lives. 

Bdubbs: Well that’s one thing you both agree on. The uh - you and the Jungle - that is. Uh - it… _very_ much agrees about that.

Keralis: Hey, look at that, common ground, that’s not so bad right?

Bdubbs: _Exactly_ _!_ So I think we can just… wipe our hands of this and walk off, huh Doc?

A long silence.

Doc: I don’t know. If you’re able to do that, I’m happy for you, but… I have a lot to sort through, right now.

A sigh.

Bdubbs: Look, Doc, I… I guess it musta been hard, but… I’m still _here_ . I’m _fine._ I don’t know where the other two are, but we’ll find them-

Doc: Dead. Bdubbs, they’re _dead._

Kakujo: That’s… okay, not to go out on a limb and be the scary person in the room again, but that’s not _entirely_ an insurmountable issue?

Doc: What.

Bdubbs: Yeah, seconding that - WHAT?

Keralis: So’m I the only one who was paying attention when he said he could do dark magic? Anyone else? Really just me? Hello?

Scar: To be fair, it’s not the most… widely known type of magic.

Doc: I’m aware of dark magic as a _concept_ . I was certainly _not_ aware you were capable of _necromancy._

Kakujo: The subject never came up! It’s not something you just, like, drop casually into a conversation or put in an incident report. How was I supposed to bring it up, post a _memo_ ? “Hey guys, General Kakujo here, just so everyone knows, I can defy the cycle of life and death, also there’s chips in the break room.” Yeah, _that’s_ gonna go over super well!

Bdubbs: Well… guess he’s gotta point.

Doc sighs heavily.

Doc: Fine. I’ll concede on that.

Keralis: So… are we gonna do necromancy _now_ , or -

Kakujo: We are absolutely _not_ doing necromancy right now.

Scar: Is it even a _safe_ idea?

Kakujo: Absolutely not! I’m still probably going to end up doing it at some point, but no, no it is not safe.

Doc: Don’t explode anything, General.

Kakujo: Usually things _implode_ , soooo…

Scar: Please… please for the love of goodness, spare me the details right now.

Doc: Yes, let’s… let’s not. In fact, if anyone else has any weird tangents, _please_ get them out of the way now.

Bdubbs: I’m going to continue my work, Doc. But I hope we can… we can be friends again.

Doc: …Yeah. Me too.

Keralis: _Awwwwwe._

Scar: Well I’m glad we worked this out… it’s… much better to _talk_ then to keep repeatedly arguing with each other.

Keralis: I’ll say. You guys get scary when you yell.

Doc: I’m going to take that as a compliment.

Keralis: You, uh - really shouldn’t.

Scar: Sorry… about that, Keralis. Didn’t mean to scare you… Well, at least _I_ didn’t.

Kakujo: Yeah, I - went a bit overboard, sorry about that.

Keralis: ‘S alright, I guess, as long as you guys don’t do that again. Oh - uh. I’ve got somewhere I gotta be, how do I leave?

Doc: …We’ll escort you out.

Keralis: Y’don’t trust me to find my own way out?

Doc: And release everything from containment along the way? Hah! No.

The sound of chairs being moved as several people stand up.

Kakujo: Bdubbs, uh - was there… anything else, or -

Bdubbs: … 

Silence, until Doc, Keralis, and Scar have left.

Bdubbs: Can I ask a favor of you?

Kakujo: Depends on the favor, but shoot.

Bdubbs: I… need to know _what_ happened. What _really_ happened. And I need to keep Doc as _far away_ from a repeat of that situation as possible… I… couldn’t answer Keralis. Which means either I’ve been lied to or… something else. And I’m not a fan of it. And you seem like the most loose-moraled person in this whole facility and I don’t know how many lines are going to need to be crossed. You don’t have to help. I can figure it out… myself… if I need to. But the question stands.

A short pause.

Kakujo: Okay. Let me try and take those one at a time. Yes, I will try and help you figure out what happened. No, I don’t know exactly what it is. Yes, there are certain lines I _will_ refuse to cross. No, I’m not going to tell anyone and I’m not going to make you do this on your own.

Kakujo: Is that all fine by you?

Bdubbs: Yeah. Yeah, of course. Thank you, Kakujo.

Kakujo: No problem.

Feed ends.


	15. 2.15

Format -

We don’t need to do that anymore, you know?

Ah. True. I suppose it’s my fault, being a stickler for rules.⠀

You? **_Please._ ** Don’t make me laugh. The only time you follow rules is when they’re to your advantage.

Guilty as charged.⠀

Although, with regards to bending the rules, is there a reason why we’re including this?⠀

Mostly my own whims, though I suppose our audience deserves a heads-up.

You’re going to make them paranoid.⠀

Well, it’s not paranoia if someone actually **_is_ ** watching you, now is it?

⠀…I suppose not. Am I supposed to say anything?⠀

If you have something to say, I’ll let you do so. But no, it’s not **_required._ **

I… think I’ll let you take this one.⠀

You’re the crux of this alliance, after all.⠀

Pointless flattery. I approached you, yes. But you had all the systems in place. This has always been **_your…_ ** project. I just provide the needed context when it comes to… certain things.

Hmph. We’ll agree to disagree.⠀

Speak your piece.⠀

Well then… hello, dear audience.

Cub isn’t the only one with eyes on Area 77. It is, after all, **_quite_ ** the place of interest.

We remain your neutral observers, and of course your reliable narrators.

Feed ends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that's that, folks! this was uploaded to AO3 on 02/06/2021, and took roughly two hours of intense editing this time around (my fingers started hurting after the 50th copypaste of "p class=font-monospace" and let me tell you, there's a LOT of that). once more, if you want to catch up to the whole of the 77-2 AU now, all current fics are accessible on my Tumblr (@betweenlands) along with some other bonus content.
> 
> fun fact: this is the shortest fic in the AU, both in terms of page length on Google Docs and also amount of segments! after this one, the fics get DRASTICALLY longer. most of the segments are more balanced in terms of wordcount per AO3 chapter going forward, though, so if that was bothering you in the past it'll stop being as much of an issue! HOWEVER, because the next two fics are WAY longer, it might take a while getting them ported over.
> 
> thanks so much for reading this! i forgot to say this as an endnote in the previous fic, but be gay do minecraft! as i'm writing this endnote i'm planning on porting over the minifics between this fic and the next main fic (titled "ripples, like branches"), but R,LB itself will take a while as it's a WHOPPER of a fic.


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